This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY


companies that have built their companies around their own expertise rather than the other way around. These specialised CROs have built their reputation based on their scientific innovations and their ability to deliver results. They live or die by this and have not been able to hitch a ride on the back of the reputation of other parts of the company. Sygnature realised quickly that flexibility is critical to success in modern business, however, it also comes naturally from the fCRO model. Each discovery programme is different and not just in terms of therapeutic areas. Some programmes are oral, others intravenous. Others benefit from structural biology, biomarker studies or in-silico screening. With the fCRO model, each programme can combine different expert groups based on best fit for the project rather than what is available within the organisation. The result is that technologies or methodologies are selected appropriately. However, as well as holding many advantages for the client, the fCRO model produces benefits for the CROs too. Through the network collaborations, participants can contribute to projects larger and more complex than they would otherwise be capable of delivering alone. Consequently the model also delivers competitive advantage, and financial advantage, for the fCRO participants. A true win-win scenario develops from this for both the CROs and the clients. Additional benefits for collaborators arise through the development of staff through shared experiences either within the projects or more generally. An example of this is the planned cross-training between Cyprotex and Sygnature whereby respective scientists will give each team scientific updates to ensure drug discovery knowledge remains cutting-edge.


Potential disadvantages of the fCRO model


However, the involvement of multiple participants can lead to complexity and this is a potential disadvantage of the fCRO model. Sygnature’s experience in project management has proved critical to making this work. Clear communication, using modern methods such as web based tools, face-to-face meetings and regular teleconferences are de rigour. In addition, strong goal-setting alongside a culture that stimulates engagement and innovation is critical. This is further supported through a


22 sp2 Inter-Active September/October 2012


Dr Simon Hirst, CEO of Sygnature Discovery (right), and Dr Stewart Adams OBE inspect Sygnature Discovery's new laboratory during the official opening of the facilities last April. The laboratory has the capacity to house up to 25 chemists and biologists.


strong IT infrastructure that brings together data from multiple sources into a single database that is open to the client. Direct access to the responsible scientists for the clients also facilitates communication and builds trust. Ultimately, however, the culture of the participants must be aligned with the core values of Sygnature and the other organisations for the network to succeed. In the years Sygnature has been developing its federated business model, many significant and successful programmes have been delivered. In the past three years alone, five compounds have entered development and two further programmes are expected to enter development in the next six months. The result has led to significant growth within Sygnature and its partners, and the growth continues with increases in both the numbers of scientists, capabilities and turnover. In addition, new partners with complementary technologies continue to join the network.


The result of the network’s long gestation period has been the birth of a new model for conducting complex multidisciplinary drug discovery programmes, the federated-CRO model. Essentially it is a group of innovative expert CROs that share a commonality around high-quality science and creating value for the client. To deliver these goals they have learned to work together effectively in a highly transparent and open way. The results make a compelling case for this new way of working in an industry that desperately needs to retain its talent, watch its costs and shorten drug development timelines.


Further information Dr Simon Hirst Founder and CEO Sygnature Discovery Limited BioCity Nottingham NG1 1GF United Kingdom Tel: +44 115 941 5401 Email: s.hirst@sygnaturediscovery.com Web: www.sygnaturediscovery.com


Meet Simon Hirst of Sygnature Discovery


Dr Simon Hirst is Sygnature’s founder and has been chief executive officer since 2004. He is a medicinal chemist with more than 20 years’ drug discovery experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr Hirst has broad- ranging experience of discovery research gained at AstraZeneca and OSI Pharmaceuticals, and was previously managing director and director of chemistry at CombiPure. He has a BSc (Hons) in chemistry and a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of Nottingham, and undertook post-doctoral research with Professor Andrew Hamilton.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44